LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Tag: DePauw University

  • Loveland resident Chris Ball named “Sports Editor” of Loveland Magazine

    Loveland resident Chris Ball named “Sports Editor” of Loveland Magazine

    David Miller is the Managing Editor of Loveland Magazine

    by David Miller

    Loveland, Ohio – “I am so incredibly happy that Chris will be joining the Loveland Magazine team as our new sports editor,” said President and Publisher, Cassie Mattia.

    Loveland resident Chris Ball started submitting stories in March of this year. He is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. Chris graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Chris said that he has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

    With his usual modest demeanor, Chris said in an introductory email, “I don’t think any of my articles will be groundbreaking but would love to contribute what I can.”

    On June 7 Chris published the inaugural episode of The Queen City Sports Podcast, with co-host Mark Raines. Mark is also a graduate of Loveland High School.

    Chris also launched The Loveland Magazine Sports Desk FaceBook page and posts 4 or 5 stories each day. His X account is also quite active and popular. There, you will find his commentary along with Reds, Bearcats, and Bengals reels. His tagline is, “Chris Ball at the Loveland Magazine Sports Desk, here to talk Bengals, Reds, Cavaliers, Wolverines, and all Loveland, Ohio sports!”

    Chris is an excellent communicator, not only his organized story telling, but in how well he communicates with me as he and I ask daily questions to each other.

    President and Publisher, Cassie Mattia

    Cassie also said, “Chris is so knowledgeable on not just local sports but sports all across Ohio. Chris also has a knack for reaching all of our readers, whether they are knowledgeable about sports or not, which has always been really important to me. We have so many fantastic sports programs in Loveland and Cincinnati, and I am beyond excited for Chris to help give recognition to those programs and athletes. He is an incredible sports writer who will really help Loveland Magazine expand its reach beyond Loveland.”

    Chris is fun to work with too. When I asked him to respond to what Cassie said about him for this story, he said, “I couldn’t have said it better myself. That is very nice and I thank you and Cassie so much for the recognition.”

    Chris will have many responsibilities, including:

    • Writing and editing.
    • Assigning stories, proofreading, and making edits to ensure content is ready for publication.
    • Being proficient in various multimedia platforms, such as blogging, podcasting, video production, and social media.
    • Developing new writers and executing special editorial projects.
    • Creating and maintaining a strong online presence.
    • Interviewing players, coaches, and administrators, and reporting on happenings on and off the field.

    Congratulations Chris and thank you for accepting your new responsibilities. Thank you so much for all you have done so far. Let’s continue having fun while you keep our readers engaged inside your sports world.

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    Follow Sports Editor Chris Ball on these platforms:

  • Cincinnati Bengals Apply the Franchise Tag to Tee Higgins

    Cincinnati Bengals Apply the Franchise Tag to Tee Higgins

    Photo by Wikimedia Commons

    Though a Long-Term Deal May Still Be a Possibility, Absent a Holdout, The Bengals Should Have Their Clutch Second Wide Receiver Back In 2024

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – As most expected, this weekend the Cincinnati Bengals applied the franchise tag to wide receiver Tee Higgins. I previously discussed what the franchise tag could potentially mean for the team and for Tee going forward, but the fact that the Bengals chose to use the tag so soon in the offseason leads to some interesting speculation about what the future could bring.

    The franchise tag makes it extremely likely that Tee Higgins will be on this team for at least one more year. However, as early as a few days ago there were reports that both sides were working towards a deal that would keep Higgins in the orange and black for multiple years. But the fact that the team opted immediately resort to the franchise tag so soon after those negotiations even began leads to legitimate concerns that both sides are still miles apart.

     

     

    The absolute worst-case scenario is that the two sides of can’t get a deal done and Tee refuses to report and play under the guaranteed one-year contract he has been given. On the other end the optimistic outlook is that the exercise of the franchise tag allows both sides to continue to negotiate and come to some sort of agreement on a contract that benefits all parties.

    The fact that the franchise tag came so early in the offseason is a legitimate cause to be concerned about how badly the negotiations may be going. And yet, it is hard to see a player as committed as Tee Higgins choosing to abandon the entire 2024 season by sitting out simply because he didn’t get the contract he wanted.

    At the same time, Bengals fans shouldn’t trick themselves into believing that Higgins will fetch some sort of massive haul on the trade market. The tag and trade scenarios simply don’t make sense given the Bengals’ history of avoiding that very situation, and that most teams likely wouldn’t be willing to part with significant picks or players that would make such a trade worthwhile for the Bengals.

     

     

    The Bengals have a surplus of cap space, and they need a proven second option behind Ja’Marr Chase. This gives them more flexibility to keep Tee on the squad for one more year to run it back and give the Bengals the best chance to make it back to the Super Bowl.

    The primary focus now should be ensuring that if the Bengals can’t give Tee Higgins the multi year contract that he wants, that they get him ready for at least one more year with the Bengals to make a run at a championship.

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.